James Gunn said he will write and direct the Marvel comic book adaptation.

The Guardians Of The Galaxy franchise will return to the big screen for a third instalment, the director of the Marvel comic book adaptations has said.

James Gunn said he will return to both write and direct Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3.

The second film in the series, starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Bradley Cooper, is due to hit UK screens on April 28.

But announcing the news to fans on his Facebook page, Gunn said his love for the characters has tied him into a third film.

He said: “In the end, my love for Rocket, Groot, Gamora, Star-Lord, Yondu, Mantis, Drax, and Nebula – and some of the other forthcoming heroes – goes deeper than you guys can possibly imagine, and I feel they have more adventures to go on and things to learn about themselves and the wonderful and sometimes terrifying universe we all inhabit.”

Gunn, 46, promised an instalment that “goes beyond what you expect” and that it will conclude the story of “this iteration” of the superhero team.

He said it would be set after Avengers: Infinity War, the latest instalment of the Avengers superhero series which is due to be released next year.